Ajit Pawar Proposes Lowering Juvenile Age Limit to 14 Amid Rising Crimes in Maharashtra
Ajit Pawar Proposes Lowering Juvenile Age Limit to 14 Amid Rising Crimes in Maharashtra
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar proposed the age limit of juvenile offenders to be decreased from 18 to 14 years as the criminal tendency among juveniles is increasing. He also said that the matter will be discussed with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Ajit Pawar said that the age limit for child crime is 18 years. However, children between the ages of 13 to 14 years are increasingly turning to crime. Children in this age group are misled and made to do wrong things. Despite getting indulged in wrong action, strict action cannot be taken against these children as they are minors. They can’t be put in jail. Due to the age limit, they have to be kept in a juvenile home.
Ajit Pawar was speaking at a program in Pandare, Baramati taluka. “I have requested Union Minister Amit Shah to reduce the age limit, considering the increment of crime this age group is getting indulged in. If a 14-year-old child is involved in the crime, then efforts will be made to change the law to ensure that children of this age group are also punished severely,” he said.
Pawar has proposed to increase the age limit of the Juvenile as the state is seeing the increased crime rate, where the children are being increasingly used to do the crime or children at this age are getting influenced by various means like watching video on different platforms and committing the crimes themselves. In the last few years juvenile crime has increased a lot in the state. Minors are committing the crime even under the influence of alcohol. The Porsch accident case which happened last year shook the entire state.
Pawar further added, “The Parliament session will begin from February 1. The budget will be presented in it. During this period, I will be visiting Delhi along with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. At that time, there will be a discussion again on lowering the age of juvenile offenders.”
